G. Ternatensis Mantis Shrimp Tank Build!

[ccapasso]

Thanks for the info! Mantis have to be one of the coolest animals. I'd really like to have one some day.

 

They are awesome! Do it! But do as much research as you can on the species you want. As already outlined, some are better to keep than others due to their requirements. Personally, I love my Peacock Mantis but I also designed the tank and setup specifically for him knowing full well what I was getting myself into.

[Islandoftiki]

If anybody wants to see an awesome purpose built peacock mantis tank, check out Ccapasso's Peacock Paradise. It's a model of what you should do for a peacock.

 

Edit: Fixed link

Edited December 3, 2012 by Islandoftiki

[ccapasso]

If anybody wants to see an awesome purpose built peacock mantis tank, check out Ccapasso's Peacock Paradise. It's a model of what you should do for a peacock.

 

 

Thanks for the mention. Btw, check your link I think you are missing a close bracket on the end.

[Islandoftiki]

Thanks for the mention. Btw, check your link I think you are missing a close bracket on the end.

 

Thanks, fixed.

[Islandoftiki]

Tank update: Still cycling.

 

I've been feeding a maintenance dosage of ammonia every other day.

 

Today's results:

 

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: Way down (8mg/l)

Nitrate: 20ppm.

 

So, we're just waiting for those Nitrite ---> Nitrate bacteria to get up to speed.

[Islandoftiki]

We're getting close! The 25 gallon tank is chewing through ammonia like a beast! And, I'm starting to see a buildup of diatoms! Maybe a week or less left of the cycle.

 

I was cleaning up some stuff in the basement today and Chuck was really active. He was watching everything I did and roaming around the tank a lot, so I set up my phone on a tripod and caught some really good

.

 

I can't wait to get him into the tank upstairs!

[Islandoftiki]

Getting closer to completing the cycle... Still feeding ammonia. All gone in 12 hours.

 

Nitrites are less than half of what they were a couple days ago.

 

More diatoms!

[M@!]

Sweeet, almost there. Chuck is going to be a one happy camper.

[Islandoftiki]

Sweeet, almost there. Chuck is going to be a one happy camper.

 

True that, he's always so curious when I'm in the basement working at the workbench that his temporary tank is on. Imagine what it's going to be like with him in the parrot room, watching two African Gray parrots and having a clear line of sight to the living room, and my fiance's computer. We'll have to play Finding Nemo for him on the computer screen. The birds love that movie.

[Islandoftiki]

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite 0:

Nitrate: 40

 

Cycled!

[ccapasso]

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite 0:

Nitrate: 40

 

Cycled!

 

And just in time! Good thing he'll be moved in or Santa won't know where to deliver!

[Spirofucci]

So when are you gonna put him in? And, I'm sorry I don't remember, are you going to put other creatures in there with him????

[Islandoftiki]

So when are you gonna put him in? And, I'm sorry I don't remember, are you going to put other creatures in there with him????

 

After testing the water last night, I added another maintenance dosage of ammonia. I'm going to make sure it eats it up in 12 hours or so and then I'll do a big 20 gallon water change this weekend.

 

Then in he goes.

 

I've figured out my clean up crew. I'm going with about 50 dwarf cerith snails and a really big turbo snail. I'll add another turbo if needed down the road. I'm also going to get a large collection of bristle worms, micro brittle stars and pods from some local reefers. I'm also thinking about getting a few zig-zag perriwinkle snails to help turn the sand bed.

 

I think that will do for now until I see what this tank is going to do.

 

I'm also going to add chaeto to the back chamber. I think I can keep it from getting into the pumps and stuff. I'll also take a crack at building an algae scrubber in the coming months.

[Spirofucci]

After testing the water last night, I added another maintenance dosage of ammonia. I'm going to make sure it eats it up in 12 hours or so and then I'll do a big 20 gallon water change this weekend.

 

Then in he goes.

 

I've figured out my clean up crew. I'm going with about 50 dwarf cerith snails and a really big turbo snail. I'll add another turbo if needed down the road. I'm also going to get a large collection of bristle worms, micro brittle stars and pods from some local reefers. I'm also thinking about getting a few zig-zag perriwinkle snails to help turn the sand bed.

 

I think that will do for now until I see what this tank is going to do.

 

I'm also going to add chaeto to the back chamber. I think I can keep it from getting into the pumps and stuff. I'll also take a crack at building an algae scrubber in the coming months.

 

Sounds way cool! Can't wait to see it!!!!

[Islandoftiki]

Today, I swapped the skimmer from the temporary tank to the 25 gallon tank and got it up and running. It's already producing skimmate since it was already broken in on the temp tank.

 

The addition of the skimmer to the first chamber caused some issues with the plumbing for the chiller as it's all a very tight fit in the first chamber. I think I'll go to Home Depot tomorrow and pick up some parts to make the chiller plumbing work. I'm contemplating drilling the back of the tank at the first chamber for a couple of bulkheads. I'm also thinking about running the plumbing discreetly directly into the main display. We'll see how that goes. The chiller isn't absolutely necessary at the moment, so I have plenty of time to come up with an elegant solution.

 

I picked up some dwarf cerith snails, a couple of small bumblebee snails and the biggest turbo snail you've ever seen. The guy at the LFS also dug around through the tanks for about 20 minutes collecting bristle worms for me. I got about 5 decent sized ones... and they're bristle worms and not fire worms, thankfully.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Islandoftiki

[Islandoftiki]

Here are some pictures of the tank as it is now. We also added some shells and such that will probably make good building materials.

 

 

 

[Islandoftiki]

Tonight will be the night that Chuck gets transferred to the 25 gallon tank. I did one more big 50% water change last night to get the nitrates down below 5 ppm. The chaeto in the back chamber and 20% weekly water changes should take care of the rest. Now, to rob all of the discosoma mushroom corals from my 10 gallon tank that aren't happy because they get too much light. Then it will be time to start collecting mushrooms from wherever I can find them.

[Looselyhuman]

Chuck's gonna love it in there. Planning any macros? Looks ripe for them.

[Spirofucci]

Chuck's house is way too clean. I'm sure he'll make it his own in no time.

[Islandoftiki]

Chuck's gonna love it in there. Planning any macros? Looks ripe for them.

 

 

Yes, actually. I already stole a tiny sprig of some awesome red macro algae from the pest tank. It doesn't grow well in the because the light is too bright, but should do well near the bottom of this tank or under an overhang.

 

There are a couple local people with some pretty exotic macros that I'm going to grab bits of as well.

[Islandoftiki]

Chuck went into the new tank last night! He immediately ran to the back of the tank and it hanging out near the back of the tank on the far side. No big surprise there. Hopefully he'll make himself comfortable and start exploring soon.

 

Acclimating:

 

Hanging out, while he acclimates:

 

Chuck visits the kitchen!

 

Chuck checking out the living room. My fiance checking out Chuck. She loves him.

 

Here's a good reference picture for people wanting to know how to determine the sex of their mantis. Those two stick in a V shape are his boy parts.

 

The acclimation went well. I had already matched the salinity and temp of both tanks before moving him, so it should have been a pretty easy transition.

 

When I first netted him out of the temporary tank he was all fists of fury, I'm glad I didn't try to pick him up by hand. LOL

[Looselyhuman]

Suwheet! He's awesome. Good luck on him getting used to his new environs soon!

[ccapasso]

Yay! New home! I bet he is super happy!

[Spirofucci]

Wow! How cool is that? He is really neat looking!

 

 

 

 

BTW, my boy parts look very similar, I'm old.

[Islandoftiki]

I just talked to my fiance who is home today. She just fed him some scalops. He's been checking things out. Still mostly in the back, but she caught him peeking at her around the corner when she went to get some coffee.

 

Here's a little

last night.

 

And a really

. Not much to see, just him going in and straight to the back.